First post, also first saddle deer:
Found out about saddle hunting last year while I was hauling around 35lb climber. This year I've been running a DIY Sit Drag saddle with a RCH and a few improvements. Also using a DIY perch style platform.
Anyway on to the hunt:
Yesterday I sat in a new area of a spot I've hunted a lot, didn't see anything until right after it was too dark to shoot. A very big buck came in acting rutty (this week is supposedly peak rut here) but I couldn't even see my bow pins so he left.
Today, I sat next to a trail camera that's had a lot of action roughly 100yds from the spot where the buck came the night before. The wind wasn't great for this tree and after I got busted by a small doe I decided to move to the tree from the night before. Sat for a few hours and right at dark 3 decent does came on one of the upwind trails. They started going around me but then cut down back towards me. At this point I heard rustling on the other side of the tree and thinking I was surrounded I turned my head only to see a squirrel. Anyway, the 3 does started eating acorns and were head on for a while. It was the last 15 mins of good shooting light and they were hanging right at 15yds so I decided that if one of them turned sideways that was my target. A few seconds later one of them turned nearly broadside, slightly quartering to me and she got it. The picture is the exit hole side. I took the shot 180 degrees behind me leaned out fully supported by the tether. Not possible from a treestand!
Found out about saddle hunting last year while I was hauling around 35lb climber. This year I've been running a DIY Sit Drag saddle with a RCH and a few improvements. Also using a DIY perch style platform.
Anyway on to the hunt:
Yesterday I sat in a new area of a spot I've hunted a lot, didn't see anything until right after it was too dark to shoot. A very big buck came in acting rutty (this week is supposedly peak rut here) but I couldn't even see my bow pins so he left.
Today, I sat next to a trail camera that's had a lot of action roughly 100yds from the spot where the buck came the night before. The wind wasn't great for this tree and after I got busted by a small doe I decided to move to the tree from the night before. Sat for a few hours and right at dark 3 decent does came on one of the upwind trails. They started going around me but then cut down back towards me. At this point I heard rustling on the other side of the tree and thinking I was surrounded I turned my head only to see a squirrel. Anyway, the 3 does started eating acorns and were head on for a while. It was the last 15 mins of good shooting light and they were hanging right at 15yds so I decided that if one of them turned sideways that was my target. A few seconds later one of them turned nearly broadside, slightly quartering to me and she got it. The picture is the exit hole side. I took the shot 180 degrees behind me leaned out fully supported by the tether. Not possible from a treestand!